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OPINION

Harvey: If I were the prince of darkness

Last week I mentioned 1950-60s radio talk host Paul Harvey and his noted, “The rest of the story segment.” A friend reminded me of a commentary he did that captured the imagination of the nation in 1965 called, “If I were the prince of darkness.”

Ted Buss(Photo: c)

You can watch it on you tube or read it online, and it hasn’t aged a day. Noticeably, it stands out as a straightforward piece long before the political correctness run amok movement.

“If I were the prince of darkness,” Harvey said, “I would engulf the whole world in darkness.

“I would have a third of all real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree . . . thee.

“So I would set about, however necessary, to take over the United States.

“I would subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers.

“With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’

“To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince children that man created God instead of the other way around.

“And to the elderly I would teach to pray, “Our father, who art in Washington . . .

“If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and a nation at war with each other until each, in its turn, was consumed.

“And with promises of higher ratings and circulation I’d have a mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

“If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I’d tell administrators and teachers to let students run wild and before you knew it you’d have metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

“I would have prisons overflowing and I would evict God from the courts, schools and the halls of Congress.

“In churches I would substitute psychology for religion.

“If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give it to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

“I’d convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that living together is more practical and what you see on television is the way to be.

“I would lure you into a world of diseases for which there are no cures.

“In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

When Harvey wrote this piece 55 years ago, newspapers reprinted it and television networks shared it in commentary. Despite our warts in this or ages past, thankfully we have not outgrown this kind of story.

Ted Buss is a former sports and business editor at the Times Record News.